Golden Claws Stained with Lion's Blood
by autumnwind44
Summary: Even StarClan hadn't planned this. Goldenkit's life is suddenly changed when badgers attack FireClan's camp. Now she must adjust to her new life, finding friendship, love, & secrets along the way. Enemies are made- while one cat is too hungry for power.
1. Allegiances

**Authors Note: **This is my first story, so some words of caution. It may suck. I hope it doesn't, but be honest with the review and tell me what you think! Be as harsh as you think you need to be! And if it's good tell me too :)

Yes well, now that that's all said and done... here's the allegiances. - (Is that spelled right?) Ah well. I'll post updated allegiances as they are needed. Enjoy! :D

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><p><strong>FireClan<strong>

**Leader – **Lionstar: large golden brown tom with green eyes

**Deputy –** Whiteface: pure white she-cat with blue eyes (Smallpaw's mother)

**Medicine Cat **– Windfur: tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**Warriors – **Snowtail: silver white she-cat with blue eyes (Nightpaw's mother)

Darkstorm: dark gray tabby tom with green eyes (Snowtail's mate)

Shadowclaw: black tom with amber eyes (Fernpelt's mate)  
>Apprentice: Nightpaw<p>

Stormpelt: silver tom with gray patches and green eyes (Ravenwing's mate)  
>Apprentice: Smallpaw<p>

Stonetail: gray tom with blue eyes (Leafstorm's mate)  
>Apprentice: Sparrowpaw<p>

Redheart: pale ginger tom with dark ginger patches and brown eyes (Blackstripe's mate)

Tornclaw: black and white tom with one claw missing and amber eyes (Whiteface's mate)

Leafstorm: pale brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Blackstripe: brown tabby she-cat with a black stripe across her back and green eyes

Sandfur: tan she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens – **Ravenwing: black she-cat with green eyes  
>(Silverkit and Goldenkit's mother)<p>

Fernpelt: light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
>(Thornkit and Meadowkit's and Sparrowpaw's mother)<p>

**Apprentices – **Smallpaw: small black and white tom with amber eyes

Sparrowpaw: light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Nightpaw: dark brown tom with amber eyes

**Kits - **Meadowkit: black tom with green eyes

Thornkit: brown tabby tom with green eyes

Goldenkit: golden she-cat with a white chest, face, tail tip, and paws and blue eyes, golden claws

Silverkit: silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Elders – **Patchclaw: tortoiseshell tom with brown eyes

Graypelt: gray she-cat with blue eyes

**NightClan**

**Leader – **Shadowstar: black tom with green eyes

**Deputy – **Hawkfeather: dark tabby tom with brown eyes

**Medicine Cat – **Rainfeather: blue gray she-cat with green eyes

**Warriors – **Brownfoot: light brown she-cat with dark brown paws and green eyes

Thrushtail: brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
>Apprentice: Pinepaw: tom<p>

Clawfoot: gray tabby tom with blue eyes  
>Apprentice: Volepaw: female<p>

Hollystorm: light brown tabby she cat with green eyes

Berrytail: tortoiseshell she cat with green eyes

**FallsClan**

**Leader – **Pebblestar: black tom with blue eyes

**Deputy – **Owlheart: brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Medicine Cat – **Flowertail: pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Warriors – **Reedpelt: brown tom with green eyes  
>Apprentice: Splashpaw: tom<p>

Willowfur: pale tan she cat with amber eyes  
>Apprentice: Streampaw: female<p>

Barkclaw: brown tabby tom

Mistfur: pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

**ValleyClan**

**Leader – **Morningstar: tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**Deputy – **Birdtail: dark gray tom with brown eyes

**Medicine Cat – **Cloudpelt: white tom with green eyes

**Warriors – **Moonpelt: silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
>Apprentice: Rabbitpaw: female<p>

Rainclaw: gray tom  
>Apprentice: Windpaw: female<p>

Shadeheart: black she-cat

Mosstail: brown tabby she-cat

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><p><strong>Authors Note: <strong>Alrighty well there ya have it. Don't worry, there's more cats in NightClan/FallsClan/ValleyClan than what I have listed, I was just too lazy to create & type them all. FireClan's who the story follows anyway. Chapter 1 soon to come! Whenever I get around to posting it that is... :)


	2. Badger Attack

**Author's Note/Disclaimer:** Alright. I'm only going to say this once.** I do not own Warriors.** By the way, I apologize to anyone if I have used your warrior names on accident.

So here is Chapter 1 of my story! Review please :)

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><p>Goldenkit awoke to find sunlight streaming in through the entrance of the nursery. Her littermates were all sleeping around her, but the queens were gone. She suspected they had left to get a piece of fresh-kill. Goldenkit scurried out of the den.<p>

Outside, a gentle newleaf wind ruffled her fur. Goldenkit saw Shadowclaw returning into camp through the thorn tunnel, a rabbit in his jaws. She sighed, wishing she could go out hunting too.

"Goldenkit." The soft mew caught her attention and she turned her head to see her mother, Ravenwing, padding up to her. "You know you can't be outside the nursery unless you've been shown around first."

A gleam entered Goldenkit's eye. "Can you show me then?"

Ravenwing purred and bent down to give Goldenkit a quick lick on the ear. "I suppose I should've seen that coming. Follow me." The black queen led Goldenkit across the clearing to the thorn tunnel Shadowclaw had just entered from. "This is the main entrance and exit of the camp." Ravenwing flicked her tail towards a large cave near the tunnel. "This is the entrance to the warriors den. See that ledge over the entrance?" Goldenkit nodded. _  
><em>Ravenwing continued. "The ledge provides shelter, so warriors can eat outside and stay dry even when it is raining. But that ledge is also where Whiteface, the deputy, stands when she organizes patrols." The queen padded to a second cave on the other side of the tunnel. This den was slightly smaller, Goldenkit noticed, and it had a large tree trunk laying sideways across it, as if it had been knocked over during a storm.

"This is the apprentice's den," Ravenwing announced. "where you'll be sleeping in a few moons. The apprentices love to use the trunk when they pretend to be the leaders of other Clans. This rock is where they eat their fresh-kill." Ravenwing placed a paw on the rock's smooth surface.

"What den is this?" Goldenkit flicked her tail towards the entrance to a third cave, right next to the apprentice's den. Graypelt, a gray tabby, was sunning herself on a rock just outside the entrance.

"That's the elder's den," Ravenwing explained. "It's warm and soft in there. You can go in there to listen to stories about the ancient Clans. Mind you," she joked, "it would be best to bring a mouse with you! Oh, and you know the nursery, of course." Ravenwing nodded to the narrow opening wedged between the elder's den and a massive rock. The two she-cats crossed the clearing to the other side of the camp. Goldenkit's nose twitched at a fragrant scent that seemed to be wafting from the cave right next to the warriors den.  
>Ravenwing must have noticed her reaction, because she purred in amusement. "That's the medicine cats den, where sick or injured cats go to get healed." she explained. At that moment, Windfur, the medicine cat, stepped out from inside through the curtain of lichen. Her tortoiseshell fur shone brightly in the sunlight. Ravenwing nodded respectfully to the medicine cat before leading Goldenkit back towards the massive rock.<p>

"Lionstar's den is up there." Ravenwing gestured to an opening on the rock face about two tail-lengths off the ground. A large ledge was right outside his den, with room for six or seven cats to fit on it. "The ledge outside Lionstar's den is called the ShortCliff. That's where cats stand when they need to be recognized, like a kit becoming an apprentice or an apprentice becoming a warrior."

"I go up there during my apprentice ceremony?" Goldenkit's eyes grew wider.

Ravenwing nodded. "Yep, and Lionstar will jump down from the TallCliff to meet you and give you your name."

"The TallCliff?" Goldenkit tipped her head to one side.

"That ledge up there." Ravenwing flicked her tail towards a smaller ledge in the center of the rock face, a tail-length higher than the ShortCliff. "That's where Lionstar stands to hold Clan meetings. And that ledge," Ravenwing twitched an ear towards a small ledge next to the ShortCliff, "is where the deputy sits during meetings."

"Even the deputy's get their own special place?" Goldenkit's blue eyes flared with the faintest flickers of ambition. _I wonder what it would be like to be deputy, or even leader.  
><em>  
>A movement from Lionstar's den jerked her out of her thoughts. It was Lionstar padding out of his den onto the ShortCliff. The leader paused and lapped at a pool of water just outside his den. "Oh, that's right," Ravenwing added, "There is a waterfall inside the rock, and part of it falls into a pool outside his den. Some of it leads into the medicine cat den, the elders den, and even the nursery. You remember the water in there, I suppose?"<p>

Goldenkit nodded. "It always tastes cold and fresh." She swiped her tiny pink tongue around her jaws.

Ravenwing murmured agreement. "In the center of the camp, the large rock is where fresh-kill is kept." Goldenkit said nothing for that much was obvious already.

"Is that it then?" Goldenkit glanced around, but she couldn't find anything that her mother hadn't already mentioned.

"Yeah, that's about all. There's the giant rock cliff, which is the back wall. On either side of the rock cliff are large rocks too steep for cats to climb over. There are thorns where there are gaps, and the only way in is through the thorn tunnel, as far as I know." At Goldenkit's curious look Ravenwing added, "The elders said a few times that there are secret ways out of camp, but I've never found any."

Ravenwing gave Goldenkit another lick on the ear before padding over to share a rabbit with Goldenkit's father, Stormpelt. Goldenkit's sister, Silverkit, was stretching and getting up. Goldenkit picked up a mouse from the fresh-kill pile to eat and shared it with Silverkit. Goldenkit enjoyed the rest of the day scuffling and playing with her littermates.

The sun was setting, and Goldenkit was getting ready to go to sleep, when she heard a strange noise. She poked her head out of the nursery and saw the rest of the Clan had heard it too. A dull roaring that grew steadily larger. Suddenly, a huge badger thrust its way through the thorn tunnel. Badger after badger followed it through.

"Run Goldenkit!" Her mother screeched as she raced into battle. Goldenkit watched as Ravenwing leapt onto a large badger. Her mother clawed at it ferociously, and with Tornclaw's help sent it running away into the thick of the fighting.

" We've got to get out of here!" Silverkit meowed to her littermates above the screeching.

"And go where exactly?" Meadowkit asked sarcastically. "There's no way we could get out of camp through the thorn tunnel. We wouldn't even make it that far."

"What about the medicine cat's den?" Thornkit suggested. "We could hide in the crack of the wall where Windfur has her den."

"Good thinking. Let's go." Meadowkit mewed. Goldenkit let out a faint hiss.

"What?" Silverkit asked her.

"I want to fight," Goldenkit replied, "But I know we can't." The kits started creeping out of the nursery. "If was stay along the side of the rock face we should be safe." Goldenkit pointed out. Halfway to the medicine den, they heard a deep growl. They all spun around to see a badger looming over them, its eyes gleaming. They were trapped.

"Run. I'll distract it." Goldenkit hissed softly. Before the others had time to argue, she ran through the badger's legs. While the badger focused its attention on Goldenkit, the other kits took off towards the medicine cat's den. She leapt onto one of its legs and climbed onto its back. The badger reared up trying to throw her off, and nearly succeeded too. She struggled to keep a pawhold as she crawled up to its head and sank her tiny teeth into its ear. The badger swung its head violently and Goldenkit lost her balance, but she hung on. Swinging in mid-air, Goldenkit caught sight of Thornkit's tail disappearing into the medicine cat's den. Goldenkit wriggled frantically, but only made herself swing even more violently. Then she heard a loud rip. Goldenkit felt herself falling through the air. She landed on the ground with a thud, her breath driven from her, the badger's ear next to her.

The badger, now with one ear, looked furious. It swung a giant paw up in the air and slashed it across Goldenkit's face. Her eyes burned and she saw red. She closed them to stop the pain. Again she was flying through the air, until she hit her head against the side of the cliff. Black washed over her and she remembered no more.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note:<span>** Hope you liked it! Sorry, this chapter was mainly showing around the camp. There's like one more chapter later where the cats are being shown the territory, but that's about it. Ok, see ya! :3


	3. A New Perspective

****Author's Note: ****Not the best chapter I've done, but I had to make it brief because my keyboard is going bad.

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><p>Goldenkit stirred in her nest. Pain shot through what seemed like every muscle in her body, making her freeze.<p>

"Goldenkit. Don't move." A soft voice spoke. Goldenkit opened her eyes but all she saw was blackness. Blinking rapidly in an attempt to see, she drew in the scents around her. A mixture of herbs and berries hit her like a wave. _I'm in the medicine cat's den. So is that Windfur talking to me? _

"I can't see!" Goldenkit wailed, thrashing about again. Once more her body screeched in protest.

Windfur sighed. "I was afraid of that. The badger scratched your eyes."

_The badgers! _Scenes from the attack flashed through her mind. "What happened? Are Silverkit, Thornkit, and Meadowkit alright? What about the rest of the Clan? The badgers aren't still here, are they?" Goldenkit mewed frantically, her blindness momentarily forgotten.

"The kits are fine," Windfur gave her a soothing lick to calm her. "and the badgers have been chased off. The Clan is all right. No deaths, surprisingly. Although you were pretty close."

_Nearly dead? _"How long have I been in here?"

"Four days." Windfur replied.

"Will I ever be able to see again?" Goldenkit asked fearfully.

Windfur paused. Then she replied, her voice a soft mew. " No, I'm afraid not. Not even my herbs can heal scratches that deep. And trust me, I did everything I could." She paused again. "I'm sorry."

Goldenkit laid there for what seemed like a moon, taking in what she had just heard, too shocked to speak. Then finally, she spoke, her voice unusually quiet."Will I still become an apprentice?"

Windfur hesitated. "Here, eat this. It'll make you stronger." Windfur placed a juniper berry underneath Goldenkit's paw. _She didn't answer my question. _Goldenkit felt too sore and tired to ask again, so she chewed up the juniper berry and curled up, sleep claiming her quickly.

The next morning when Goldenkit awoke she felt much better. The pain was much better. She opened her eyes and saw blackness. _Oh yeah, I'm blind now._ She clawed the ground. Then Windfur padded over to her. "Go get something to eat Goldenkit. I think you can sleep in the nursery tonight."

"Ok." Goldenkit got up and walked out, stepping slowly so she didn't hit anything. But soon she found out she could smell and hear much more than before. By the time she reached the fresh-kill pile, she was running. _I don't need eyes to see, _Goldenkit thought. She had just picked up a mouse from the pile when she heard excited squeals. She could smell that it was Silverkit, Meadowkit, and Thornkit. They skidded to a halt beside her.

"Can you see?" Silverkit asked.

"No. I'm going to be blind from now on." Goldenkit replied. Heavy paw steps on the ground and Goldenkit's nose told her that her father Stormpelt was coming towards her. He asked the same question. Goldenkit shook her head. His tail fell to the ground with a slap as he heard that Goldenkit was now blind. Goldenkit padded back to the nursery with her mouse and sat down to eat it. Throughout the day, many cats from the Clan came over to her, and she heard the pity in each voice as she told them she was blind. _Why do they feel sorry for me?_ Goldenkit wondered as she lay down to sleep later that night.

A few days later Goldenkit woke up to find that she had become used to the darkness she would always see. Being blind didn't bother her as much as the way everybody treated her. She was constantly followed by a warrior or apprentice wherever she went, as if she couldn't manage to walk across camp herself. Goldenkit longed to be rid of all the cats, to prove she could be on her own, even out of the camp. _I know I can do it, but why don't they? _

One day Goldenkit found her chance. She had been talking to Patchclaw in the elders den, and he accidentally let slip that there was a secret way out of camp near the medicine cat den, but he sounded too tired to notice what he said. She was outside the nursery, and the camp was unusually empty. Goldenkit had just gotten away from her mother, her littermates, and Fernpelt while they were napping. It was around sunhigh, and most of the Clan was on patrols or training with apprentices. The only cats in camp were the elders, who were snoozing outside their den, Lionstar, who was in his den, and Redheart and Blackstripe, who were lying outside the warriors den sleeping next to each other. Goldenkit quickly padded over to the medicine cat den and crept inside. Windfur, the medicine cat, was out collecting herbs. She sniffed around and searched, but she couldn't find a way out. Goldenkit padded out of the den and looked around the edges of it.

Then she smelled it. The forest. Fresh air. _The secret exit must be in between the warrior den and the medicine cat den. _Very quietly, she crept around the sleeping bodies of Redheart and Blackstripe to get closer. She knew there was a wall of ferns here, and a rock wall behind it. Goldenkit realized there was a tunnel leading behind the medicine cat den, and she followed it until she came to a spot where the rock had crumbled enough for a cat to fit through. She padded through the gap. She felt ferns and pushed through them. _The ferns must block the gap so it can't be seen from the outside of the camp._ Goldenkit thought for a minute of where to go, now that she was free. She wanted to see BigRocks, the place where the Clans gathered at the full moon. She padded off in a random direction, not sure of what lay in FireClan's territory, keeping away from scents of other FireClan cats. Goldenkit had walked for a long time when she smelled an unfamiliar scent.

"NightClan!" Goldenkit hissed. Had they come on FireClan territory? Goldenkit realized that was a border scent she smelled. She thought with a pang of horror how far she had come. Her absence would have been noticed by now. Goldenkit ran back along her own scent trail to camp. She smelled FireClan scent ahead of her, and there was no mistaking that they were coming to her. Another sniff told Goldenkit that it was Tornclaw, Darkstorm, and Nightpaw. Goldenkit thought about hiding, but she knew they would find her anyway. She stood silently and waited for them to come.

"Goldenkit!" Tornclaw growled when he saw her. "What are you doing out here?"

Goldenkit started to reply, "I-

"-Wasn't thinking at all and I thought I didn't have to follow the warrior code." Darkstorm sneered, cutting across Goldenkit.

"No!" Goldenkit hissed.

"Back to camp, now." Tornclaw ordered. He bent down to pick up Goldenkit, but she had heard the swish of his fur and leapt out of the way before he could touch her.

"I can walk." Goldenkit hissed. Tornclaw looked surprised, but he just said,

"All right then, walk." The patrol led her back to camp. Goldenkit was furious. She was just trying to have a bit of freedom, and now she was being escorted back to camp like a prisoner.

"Nightpaw, go find the other patrols and tell them we found her." Darkstorm growled. The apprentice nodded and took off. _How many cats have been searching for me? _Goldenkit wondered. As they reached the thorn tunnel, Goldenkit wondered what would happen. Would she be punished? What if Lionstar refused to make her an apprentice? As she padded into the camp behind Tornclaw she heard her mother's voice.

"Goldenkit! You're safe!" Ravenwing meowed. Her father, Stormpelt, was there too.

"What were you thinking?" he growled.

Goldenkit protested, "I just wanted to get a bit of freedom. Since I became blind, I've been followed everywhere, like I can't even walk across camp by myself." When no cat spoke, she added, "Did you think I wouldn't notice just because I'm blind? "

Lionstar spoke, "Goldenkit, you still must be punished. You broke the warrior code." Goldenkit was so angry she hadn't heard Lionstar approach. "You will get rid of the old bedding in the elders den, and fetch them new moss. You will bring prey for them and take care of their ticks." Lionstar continued.

"Will I still be an apprentice?" Goldenkit asked.

Lionstar replied, "If you don't leave camp like that again, and you do your punishment properly, then perhaps you might be an apprentice. We shall see."

"The elders could use your help now." Darkstorm smirked. Goldenkit flashed him a glare before padding off to the elders den.

"Hello Goldenkit!" Patchclaw meowed. "What brings you here?"

"They found you then, I see. Such an uproar over you missing, but I knew you would be fine." Graypelt chuckled.

"My punishment is to take care of you." Goldenkit mewed.

"Oh don't worry Goldenkit," Patchclaw said, as if he could read her mind, "You'll be an apprentice. After all, this is a chore that apprentices have to do every day. This is good practice." Goldenkit felt a bit better and nodded before getting to work.

The sun was below the trees by the time Goldenkit finished. She curled up in the nursery, tired, and fell asleep immediately.

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><p><strong><strong>Author's Note: <strong>**Yeah, so the only keys that work in the top row of my keyboard are "t" & "y". Imma thinking its time to get a new keyboard. :D

Might have to wait a while for the next update.


	4. Apprentices

**Author's Note:** I has a new keyboard now :D I can once again type decently. Here's the next chapter.

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><p>A quarter moon had passed since Goldenkit had left camp, and now she was six moons old. Padding out of the elder's den, she flopped down outside the nursery for a rest. She had just finished changing the moss in the elder's den yet again. Goldenkit stretched out on one side and sighed happily.<p>

Suddenly, a weight dropped onto her flank with a thud, pinning her to the ground. Goldenkit gave a startled yowl and thrashed about, trying to free herself from her attacker. Then the weight vanished. Goldenkit scrambled to her paws, her tail lashing.

"There you are, Goldenkit!" Silverkit's mew sounded in front of her.

"Do you mind?" Goldenkit hissed angrily. "I was trying to sleep." She knew she was only angry because she had been startled so easily.

Silverkit took no notice of Goldenkit's anger. "It's today! Our apprentice ceremony is today!" she mewed excitedly.

Goldenkit's fur went flat immediately. "It is? Will I be in it?" Goldenkit asked. Lionstar hadn't spoken to Goldenkit since that day she left camp.

"I don't know," Silverkit mewed, "Ravenwing just told me it is going to be today at sundown. That's all she said."

Goldenkit thought for a little bit before mewing, "I'm going to go see Lionstar. He said if I behaved I could be an apprentice, and I have. He _has_ to make me an apprentice, he promised." Goldenkit got up and padded to Lionstar's den. She could smell that the opening to his den was about two tail lengths above her, and she remembered Ravenwing saying the ShortCliff was outside his den. Goldenkit backed up, took a running start at the ledge, and leaped, unable to see if she had measured the jump correctly. Goldenkit's front paws landed on the ledge, but her hind paws churned empty air. She hauled herself up, her blind blue eyes wide. _I better practice so I don't do that during my apprentice ceremony. _Then she shook her fur and called,

"Lionstar?"

"Come in!" was the reply. Goldenkit padded into Lionstar's cave. She smelled that Ravenwing was in there already. Ravenwing and Lionstar were talking intently, but they both broke off as they realized it was Goldenkit that came in. Ravenwing mewed a hasty goodbye and left the den quickly.

"What can I do for you Goldenkit?" Lionstar meowed.

"I want to know if I am going to become an apprentice." Goldenkit said quickly, before she lost courage. Lionstar was silent for a few moments.

"Well, you're blind, so there's no guarantee you will be a warrior…" Lionstar said slowly.

"Please?" Goldenkit kneaded the ground with anxious paws. "Give me a chance to prove myself."

Lionstar sighed. "All right, all right. One chance. I suppose you can be an apprentice."

"Thank you Lionstar!" Goldenkit could hardly keep from leaping with joy. She dipped her head and raced out of the den. She leaped down off the ShortCliff, stumbling as she hit the ground. She had no way of seeing how far the fall was, so she practiced leaping up and down it until she could do it cleanly. She heard Thornkit calling her and she raced over.

"What did he say?" Thornkit asked.

"I'm going to be an apprentice!" Goldenkit yowled. Thornkit yowled in joy too and swiped a paw at her in the beginning of a play fight. Then he dropped back onto all four paws and mewed,

"Ravenwing wants to see you." He followed Goldenkit to the nursery, where Ravenwing was busy licking Silverkit's pelt smooth. She looked up and said,

"All right Silverkit, you're finished. Goldenkit, come here, it's your turn." Goldenkit grumbled and turned to leave, but teeth met in her scruff and she was hauled over. Ravenwing licked Goldenkit furiously, making her pelt clean and smooth for the ceremony. Mews of complaint from her right meant that Thornkit was receiving similar treatment from Fernpelt. Goldenkit smiled. At least she wasn't alone. At last Ravenwing let Goldenkit go. The four kits were all clean and ready when Goldenkit heard a yowl from outside the nursery.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the TallCliff for a Clan meeting!"

"That's Lionstar!" Silverkit gasped.

"Line up, Silverkit by Goldenkit, and Thornkit by Meadowkit." Fernpelt instructed. They did as they were told.

"The she-cats get to go first, of course." Silverkit mewed teasingly and flicked her tail in Meadowkit's face as she and Goldenkit took their place in front of the two toms.

"Behave now." Ravenwing scolded gently. "You're going to be an apprentice." The six cats left the nursery, Goldenkit and Silverkit leading the way. Thornkit and Meadowkit followed behind, while Ravenwing and Fernpelt brought up the rear. Goldenkit held her head high as she approached the Clan.

"I wonder who our mentors will be?" Silverkit hissed in her ear. When they had reached the clan, they sat down, the four kits side by side.

"Today, we make four new apprentices." Lionstar meowed from TallCliff, "Meadowkit!" Meadowkit stood up and leaped up to the ShortCliff. He stumbled a bit, and some of the Clan murmured in amusement. Lionstar sprang down to meet him.

"Until this cat has earned his warrior name, he shall be known as Meadowpaw." Lionstar meowed loudly.

"Meadowpaw! Meadowpaw!" The Clan yowled, Nightpaw the loudest.

"Redheart, you are strong and bold. You will be Meadowpaw's mentor. I expect you to teach him all you know." Lionstar continued. _Redheart... _Goldenkit remembered his appearance from before the badger attack, and pictured the pale ginger tom leaping up onto the ShortCliff. Reheart touched noses with his new apprentice, and led him back down.

"Thornkit!" Lionstar called. Thornkit leapt up onto ShortCliff as well, and Lionstar spoke the same words,

"Until this cat has earned his warrior name, he shall be known as Thornpaw."

"Thornpaw! Thornpaw!" Smallpaw was the loudest this time.

"Tornclaw, you are wise and noble. You will be Thornpaw's mentor. Make him a warrior FireClan will be proud of." Lionstar said. Goldenkit again pictured the cats in her mind as the black and white tom leapt up on ShortCliff, touched noses with Thornpaw as Redheart had done, and they both sprang down.

"Silverkit!" Goldenkit felt Silverkit leave her side and leap up next to Lionstar.

"Until this cat has earned her warrior name, she will be known as Silverpaw." Lionstar said for a third time.

"Silverpaw! Silverpaw!" Sparrowpaw led the Clan in the chant.

"Whiteface, you are brave and loyal. You will be Silverpaw's mentor. Teach her well." Goldenkit felt a twinge of jealousy. _Why does Silverpaw get to be the deputy's apprentice? _Whiteface sprang over from the deputy's ledge and touched noses with Silverpaw, then leaped back over to her ledge. Silverpaw leaped down to the Clan alone. Goldenkit felt a thrill of excitement. It was her turn now!

"And finally, Goldenkit!" Goldenkit stood up at Lionstar's words and leaped up onto the ShortCliff, making the jump cleanly after her practicing. The Clan cats murmured to each other in approval. Goldenkit was glad she had impressed them. Then Goldenkit turned her head in the direction of Lionstar.

"Until this cat has earned her warrior name, she will be known as Goldenpaw." Lionstar said loudly.

"Goldenpaw! Goldenpaw!" The cheering was only halfhearted, and Goldenpaw knew that some of the Clan hadn't cheered at all. Goldenpaw felt a little downcast, but listened, wondering who her mentor would be.

Lionstar waited until all was silent. "I have decided that I am going to mentor Goldenpaw myself." he announced. Goldenpaw raised her head in surprise. She wasn't the only one. Surprised mews came from the cats on the ground below. Lionstar hadn't mentored an apprentice in moons! Any jealousy Goldenpaw felt toward Silverpaw vanished. Goldenpaw lifted her head to touch noses with Lionstar, then leaped down. As happy as she was to be the leader's apprentice, she was curious about Lionstar's decision. _Why would Lionstar want _**_me_**_ as his apprentice when he could've had one that could see?_ The thought nagged at her.

"Meadowpaw! Thornpaw! Silverpaw! Goldenpaw!" The Clan gathered around the new apprentices, but Goldenpaw knew that the Clan was there for the other three. In fact, nobody said anything to Goldenpaw except for her parents. When the Clan melted away back to their dens, the mentors addressed their new apprentices.

"Tomorrow, we will take you to see the territory." They all said, except for Lionstar.

Goldenpaw padded up to her mentor, "Are we going with them?"

Lionstar replied, "No I have something else planned for you. You're going to clean out the elders den and fetch them fresh bedding."

"What?" Goldenpaw yowled in shock. "I've been doing that for the past quarter moon!"

"Didn't I tell you it was a regular apprentice chore?" Lionstar growled. "It needs to be done, and you're going to do it."

"Why? Because I'm blind?" Goldenpaw flashed at him.

"No, because I told you to." Lionstar retorted. "Now go find a place to sleep." Goldenpaw stalked over to the apprentices den where Meadowpaw, Thornpaw, and Silverpaw were outside eating by the apprentices rock. Meadowpaw sneered, "I heard you have to take care of the elders while we get to explore the territory." Goldenpaw hissed at him, but was too angry to say any more.

"Cheer up, you'll go out soon enough." Thornpaw mewed encouragingly.

"I doubt it." Goldenpaw sighed. She got up and padded into the den after Silverpaw, and she made a nest between Silverpaw and Thornpaw. She might be the leader's apprentice, but she certainly wasn't getting better training. _Lionstar probably wants to be my mentor so he can order me to do the chores around camp. _She sighed and curled up into sleep.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note: <span>**I apologize for the Jaypaw-ish-ness of this chapter. I'm not copying him I swear. I finished typing this and realized how similar it was, but I'm too lazy to fix it :). And I believe I just made a new word. Jaypaw-ish-ness is now being added to the dictionary. :D Next update should be in the next few days I hope.


	5. The Territory

**Author's Note: **Took a little longer than I expected but here it is. Kinda boring because it's just explaining the territory.

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><p>Goldenpaw woke up when she felt someone squirming next to her. It was Silverpaw.<p>

"Is it dawn yet?" Meadowpaw mumbled sleepily.

"Yep. It's time for our training." Thornpaw said excitedly. Goldenpaw snorted and stood up. She wouldn't be doing any training today. She had heard Sparrowpaw complaining about how much of a regular chore cleaning the elders den was, but Goldenpaw didn't expect that she would be doing it so soon. Smallpaw was still sleeping, but Nightpaw and Sparrowpaw had left. Goldenpaw stumbled out of the den, followed by Thornpaw, Silverpaw, and Meadowpaw.

"Good, you're awake." Whiteface meowed. Redheart and Tornclaw were next to her. "Eat quickly you four, then get to your duties." Goldenpaw took a vole from the fresh-kill pile and lay down by the apprentice's rock to eat. She ate slowly, while the other three at as quickly as they could, eager to get out into the forest.

"Where is Lionstar?" Goldenpaw asked. She couldn't smell him at all.

"He'll be down for you shortly." Redheart answered. "Come on Meadowpaw."

"Thornpaw, come." Tornclaw meowed.

"You too Silverpaw." Whiteface added. The three mentors led their apprentices out through the thorn tunnel. Goldenpaw sighed, wishing she could go with them. She had finished her vole and had stretched when she smelled Lionstar emerge from his den. He leaped down from ShortCliff and joined her.

"Goldenpaw, good, follow me. I'm going to show you the best place to gather moss." Lionstar led her through the thorn tunnel. Goldenpaw felt a prickle of sadness as they turned away from her den mates' scent trail.

"They're headed toward the NightClan border," Lionstar explained, "But where we are heading is in the opposite direction." Goldenpaw followed him a short ways, until the ground felt springy under paw.

"It's a hollow, with moss all around. It's the best place to collect moss." Lionstar meowed. He explained to her how to dig it up, then helped her carry it back to camp. He then meowed farewell and padded off to talk to Stonetail, who had just returned from patrol. Goldenpaw growled and stalked into the elders den.

"Here to clean out our dens again? Why aren't you out learning the territory?" Graypelt asked.

"Because this is all Lionstar thinks a blind cat is good for." Goldenpaw hissed. Trying to sound friendlier she added, "It's a nice day out. Why don't you two go sun yourselves outside while I change your bedding?"

"Good idea young one." Patchclaw rumbled. He and Graypelt padded out of the cave and lay down in the rocks outside their den. Goldenpaw raked all the old moss together and dragged it out of the camp, then laid down the fresh moss and made new nests. She fetched some fresh-kill and laid it in their den, and got some mouse bile from Windfur to get rid of their ticks. She wrinkled her nose at the horrible scent. When she had finished, Lionstar ordered her to do the nursery as well.

It was well past sunhigh when Goldenpaw had finished. She went to the nearest stream and crawled in, getting the moss out of her pelt. She returned to camp, her paws aching.

The sun was sinking below the trees when Silverpaw, Meadowpaw, and Thornpaw had returned. They grabbed some prey at ate hungrily, having gone over the entire territory today. Goldenpaw laid by them miserably, listening to them go on about how great it was to finally know the territory. She flicked an ear at approaching pawsteps, and raised her head as Lionstar's scent reached her.

"Goldenpaw, don't worry. Tomorrow I'll show you the territory." Lionstar reassured her.

"What are you guys doing tomorrow?" Goldenpaw asked when Lionstar had gone.

"Border patrol." Silverpaw replied glumly. "What we pretty much did today." The four apprentices went in their den. The other three fell asleep immediately after their walking today, but Goldenrod stayed awake long enough for a thought to cross her mind. I won't be behind them after all.

The next morning Goldenpaw left the camp with Lionstar, excited for once. Lionstar led her through the forest. "All the trees here will lose their leaves in leaf-fall.." he explained. "The leaves change into beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow, just wait till you see - ." Lionstar broke off awkwardly. "I mean, er, oh, here we are." He led Goldenpaw up a rocky slope to the top of a hill, where Goldenpaw was surprised to feel that the land sloped downward beneath her paws on the other side.

"This is BigRocks, where the four Clans gather at the full moon. It's a hollow surrounded by giant rocks." Lionstar meowed. Padding over to a large tree stump on the side of the clearing, he continued. "Here is the Great Tree, where the leaders stand at Gatherings." The stump he was indicating was inside the outer circle of rocks. "You can climb it if you like." Lionstar invited. Goldenpaw nodded and padded to the back side where she hauled herself up. She could feel the grooves in the bark where the leaders had climbed up before. She reached the top and wondered how high she was. The stump sloped upward under her paws as she padded to the front. She leaped down and was surprised that she fell several tail lengths.

"Careful, it's a long way down." Lionstar warned, a little too late.

"Thanks for telling me." Goldenpaw mewed sarcastically, getting to her paws. "Will there be a Gathering soon?"

"No, there was a Gathering just before you became an apprentice. It's almost a moon till the next one. Come on." He led her out of the hollow opposite of the way they entered, and Goldenpaw smelled another cat scent.

"This is ValleyClan scent. We share no borders with them, but we can cross into their territory through BigRocks." Lionstar explained. They continued along the edge of BigRocks until Goldenpaw smelled another Clan.

"NightClan. We share a border with them," Lionstar growled.

"Is that a problem?" Goldenpaw asked

"Actually it is. Notice how our oak, ash, and birch trees continue across into their territory. NightClan territory is mostly pine trees. Farther ahead along the border, their pine trees go into our territory, but NightClan believes those pines belong to them." Lionstar meowed.

"Why not change the border so the oak trees are on our territory and the pines are on theirs?" Goldenpaw suggested.

"Because NightClan won't listen to reason." Lionstar growled. They followed along the border until they came along to a pond fed by a stream.

"This pond is the border, and both Clans have equal rights to the fish in here, but sometimes NightClan takes more than their share. That also causes disputes. The stream here runs along the rest of the border." Lionstar explained.

"I thought only FallsClan caught fish?" Goldenpaw mewed, confused.

"We have this stream and pond in our territory," Lionstar replied, "so it makes sense to use it. There's also a river in our territory near FallsClan. We don't fish often, but when prey is scarce it is useful to know. NightClan saw us fishing and decided they should have a chance at the fish too." The two cats followed the stream until Goldenpaw smelled a new scent that was even worse that the stench of NightClan. Lionstar must have noticed her wrinkling her nose because he purred in amusement.

"That smell is the Thunderpath. Twolegs travel along it inside monsters. Their monsters race along, and if you get too close they will injure or even kill you. Cats have died on Thunderpaths." Lionstar warned. Suddenly there was a loud roar and something flashed past so quickly Goldenpaw's fur and paws were tugged aside. The stench was whipped in the air as it passed.

"Was that a monster?" Goldenpaw gasped.

"Yes. Don't get too close to the Thunderpath. This is our territory boundary. It's dangerous to cross, and there's nothing useful across it anyway. That stream along the NightClan border goes underneath the Thunderpath." Lionstar turned away from the Thunderpath and led them deeper into the territory.

"This was once the den of a badger." Lionstar explained. "It's a good place for hunting, but it could be dangerous if badgers or foxes decided to move in here." They continued along through the trees. Goldenpaw noticed that the smell of the Thunderpath hadn't faded completely, so she guessed they must be traveling alongside it.

"This is the Giant Oak, the tallest tree around. It is great for practicing climbing and for prey." Lionstar led Goldenpaw past the Giant Oak, and Goldenpaw noticed the smell of the Thunderpath getting stronger.

"This is the edge of Twolegplace. Twolegs live here in big nests made out of stone. There isn't much prey there, so our territory only goes up to here. It's best to stay away from Twolegs if possible." Lionstar led Goldenpaw along the border until they came to the river.

"The river curves into Twolegplace, but our territory continues on the other side of the river." Lionstar explained, "Across the river is a great place for prey, probably the best in the territory, but it's dangerous to get to. Lionstar led Goldenpaw down the river to some stepping stones.

"This is the way we cross the river, unless you feel like swimming like FallsClan." Lionstar meowed. "It usually isn't safe to cross the river by swimming, because the current is usually too strong. I'd like to show you across the river, but do you think you can cross the stepping stones?"

"I think so." Goldenpaw mewed. Lionstar leaped ahead onto the first stone, then swung his tail back to help Goldenpaw judge the distance. He leaped onto the next stone. Goldenpaw took a deep breath and leaped. Her paws hit stone, and she scrabbled to find a hold.

"Well done!" Lionstar called. Goldenpaw leaped to the next stone, and again, and again, and again, until she at last leaped onto the bank. Lionstar was right about the prey. Goldenpaw could hear the scurrying of tiny paws and rustles in the undergrowth. Goldenpaw also heard a faint noise, almost like bees. She pointed this out, but Lionstar said he didn't hear anything. Lionstar showed her the Old Willow, the only willow tree in their territory. They continued until they reached the edge of Twolegplace again. They followed the border markings until the river curved out of their territory. The buzzing Goldenpaw heard before had turned into a roaring sound, like the sound of rushing water.

"Below us is the waterfall." Lionstar meowed above the noise. "The water falls down into FallsClan territory. You don't want to go over this waterfall, it's very big." Lionstar led Goldenpaw back to the stepping stones and over them. They continued along the border. Goldenpaw opened her mouth and smelled a cat scent mixed with fish.

"FallsClan." Goldenpaw mewed. Lionstar murmured assent and stopped at a group of rocks.

"These are the SunRocks."Lionstar mewed. "They are just inside the border, and they are often fought over. FallsClan wants them in their territory. You'll soon know why." He climbed up onto a boulder and laid down. Goldenpaw scrambled up beside him. The rock heated her pelt, soaking into every inch of her fur.

"The SunRocks are great during the cold of leafbare." Lionstar murmured. He got up and led the way deeper into the forest, toward the camp. "We're almost done," he meowed. Goldenpaw felt the ground sloping downward and the grass turned into sand. The scents of Smallpaw, Sparrowpaw, and their mentors were in the air.

"This is the training hollow, where you will learn to fight." Lionstar rumbled. "Now we can go back to camp." He bounded out of the hollow, and Goldenpaw followed, her paws aching from the journey. Before long they were back at camp and heading through the thorn tunnel.

"Tomorrow Goldenpaw, you will learn to hunt." Lionstar said before taking a rabbit off the fresh-kill pile and ate it on ShortCliff, talking to Whiteface. Goldenpaw felt a thrill of excitement and grabbed a mouse and settled down next to Silverpaw, who was eating a squirrel.

"I'm going to learn how to hunt tomorrow." Goldenpaw announced.

"Really? Me too!" Silverpaw mewed.

"Me too!" Thornpaw's tail flicked excitedly.

"Me too!" Meadowpaw mewed. "I guess we'll be learning together."

"Cool!" Silverpaw leaped up and stood tall. "I'm going to be the best hunter!"

"No you're won't! I will!" Meadowpaw pushed Silverpaw playfully, making her stumble.

"Well I'm going to be the best fighter." Thornpaw declared.

"I'm going to be the best hunter and fighter." Goldenpaw leaped up onto the rock next to them.

"No, I will!" Meadowpaw swiped his paw over Goldenpaw's ear. She responded by letting out a playful growl. Suddenly there was a hiss from one of the warriors on the other side of the clearing. The apprentices jumped and scurried into their den.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>So there ya have it. I did my best but I'm not that good at explaining things... I drew out a map and tried to explain it the best I could :) If only FanFiction would let us put pictures up on our stories! Grrr... I'll try to be more quick about updating. See ya! *poofs into nothingness*


	6. First Hunt

**Author's Note: **I apologize again for the last chapter. No more explaining the territory again, I promise. This one is a little better. :)

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><p>Goldenpaw felt a paw prodding her side. "What is it?"<p>

"Time for training." A voice whispered in her ear.

She slowly got up from her nest and stretched. Her sister, Silverpaw, was waking the others. Goldenpaw padded out of the apprentices den and made her way to the fresh-kill pile. She chose a vole that was caught yesterday and ate it quickly. She had just swiped her tongue around her muzzle when she smelled Lionstar approaching. Whiteface, Redheart, and Tornclaw followed him.

"Come." Lionstar bounded through the thorn tunnel with the other three warriors at his heels. Goldenpaw leaped after them. She could hear Meadowpaw, Thornpaw, and Silverpaw pounding behind her. Goldenpaw realized they were heading to the training hollow.

"Right." Lionstar meowed. "First thing to hunting is learning the hunting crouch. This is the basic position you will use to stalk prey, but it changes slightly depending what type of prey it is. For instance, a mouse would feel your paw steps first, while a rabbit would hear the swish of your fur first. Crouch down, putting your weight equally on all four paws so you'll be balanced and can control your movements. Keep low, so your prey can't see you coming." Lionstar began to stalk forward showing them the crouch. Goldenpaw wished she could see, but she could hear the faint rustling of his fur. "Silverpaw, why don't you go first?" Silverpaw nodded and crouched down and stalked forward. Goldenpaw couldn't see what Silverpaw was doing, but she could hear the loud swish of her fur.

"You're moving forward too fast Silverpaw, but your crouch is very good. If you slow down, your fur won't make as much noise." Whiteface told her. "Thornpaw, go ahead." Thornpaw moved forward stealthily, and Goldenpaw was surprised to hear that he was only a little louder than Lionstar.

"Very good Thornpaw! Just keep your tail and rear down so the prey won't see you." Tornclaw meowed. "Meadowpaw?" Meadowpaw did his best crouch, but Goldenpaw could hear the loud thumps of his paws on the ground.

"You need to keep your weight equal on all four paws and step lightly, Meadowpaw, or you'll scare the prey with your loud paw steps." Redheart meowed gently. "Goldenpaw, you're up." Goldenpaw nodded and crouched down, feeling her body fall into what she thought was the right position. She stalked forward, imagining she was creeping up on a mouse. She thought she was doing well until she stepped on a twig and it broke with a loud snap.

"That was good for a first try Goldenpaw, but be careful not to step on any debris." Lionstar meowed.

_And how in StarClan am I going to be able to see the sticks? _Goldenpaw worried. But there wasn't time to think about this.

"Let's try it on real prey." Lionstar suggested. "Go ahead, and go back to camp when you've caught something." Goldenpaw charged out of the hollow. The other three took off in different directions. She stalked along, lifting her nose to draw in scents. _Rabbit! _Goldenpaw could smell the furry creature. She hesitated. Rabbits were hard to catch even for warriors. Usually only ValleyClan hunted rabbits. _I may as well try. _Remembering what Lionstar said, she crouched down and sniffed to pinpoint the rabbit. Slowly she stalked forward, so the rabbit wouldn't hear her fur moving. She smelled the rabbit ahead of her. _But which way is it facing? Is it looking straight at me?_ Slowly she crept up. When she was a few tail lengths away she heard the rabbit's quick steps moving away from her. It was running away! Goldenpaw leaped after it and pounced, sinking her teeth into the back of its neck. She took a step backward, only to let out a startled yowl as her paw fell into the ground. Goldenpaw's jaws hit the ground as she fell shoulder deep into the earth. _The rabbit's burrow! If only I could see it... _She hauled herself out and stood on three paws. Pain shot through the fourth one when she tried to put weight on it. _This whole blind thing is harder than I thought. _Goldenpaw licked her paw a few times and limped over to her rabbit. She flicked her tail forward and ran it along the length of the rabbit to see how big it was. It was pretty small as far as rabbits go, but that didn't matter. _At least I caught something. _She picked it up and dragged it to camp, tripping over it. She had caught her first prey! Goldenpaw padded through the thorn tunnel eagerly, wanting to show Lionstar her catch. She paused, hidden in the shadows, when the scents of the others reached her. _They must be waiting by the tunnel._ She flicked her ears forward and heard Redheart muttering to Lionstar.

Lionstar's voice reached her in a reply. "We'll give her a little more time."

"Maybe she didn't catch anything." Redheart continued. "Will she be even be able to hunt being blind? There's no way she can be a real warrior." _Oh yeah? You wait._ Goldenpaw thought. She stepped into the sunlight.

"I heard that, Redheart. Because I'm blind, my hearing and sense of smell is better than any cat's in the Clan." Goldenpaw spat. Cats were appearing out of their dens, drawn out by the noise.

"As for hunting, do you use your eyes when you're hunting at night? No, you use your hearing and sense of smell. So why should I be any different?" Goldenpaw didn't give him a chance to respond. "I _**will **_find a way to become a warrior, blind or not." Goldenpaw stalked forward and dropped her rabbit at Redheart's paws. Goldenpaw could smell the prey the others brought. Silverpaw had brought down a mouse. Thornpaw had caught a squirrel. Meadowpaw brought a shrew. Goldenpaw lifted her head and stared at where she knew Redheart was, even though she couldn't see him.

"All right you can hunt. What about fighting? Warriors need to fight too," Redheart pointed out. "How will you be able to fight in battle? You won't be able to smell an enemy in the thick of battle because there will be cats everywhere. Their paw steps will get drowned out by yowls and screeches. You might be able to learn the fighting moves, but there's no way you could be a real warrior." Shocked mews came from the cats watching. Goldenpaw hissed at Redheart. It was enough. Her claws slid out. She let out a yowl and leaped at Redheart. Her claws hit fur, and she held on. She sank her teeth into Redheart's neck. Redheart yowled and shook her off, sending her sprawling on the ground. He sunk his teeth into her shoulder, and Goldenpaw hissed in pain. Ripping free, she sank her claws in his fur. The pair rolled over and over in a tangle of paws and tails. Suddenly Lionstar thrust his way in between them. Goldenpaw felt herself pushed backward.

"That's enough." Lionstar snarled. "Warriors do not attack their clan mates, no matter how much they deserve it." Goldenpaw felt Lionstar's gaze burn into her fur. Goldenpaw hissed and let her claws slide back in. "Redheart, go see Windfur and get patched up. Goldenpaw, come with me." Lionstar stalked to his den. Goldenpaw sighed and followed him, limping from her injured shoulder. She could feel blood oozing from the bite. She leaped onto ShortCliff and winced. Then she padded into Lionstar's den. Lionstar was sitting waiting for her.

"Goldenpaw I can't believe you would attack a fellow clan mate!" Lionstar began. "Redheart did say some things he shouldn't have, but it's no excuse."

"I felt like I had to prove to him and the Clan that I'm worthy to be a warrior." Goldenpaw spoke up. "All I did was prove something that shouldn't _need_ to be proved. I can't feel sorry for doing that." Lionstar was silent with shock, clearly impressed.

"Those are some wise words young one, but I still want you to know how wrong it is to attack a member of your Clan."

"I know that Lionstar, but you have to admit, Redheart got what was coming to him." Goldenpaw pointed out. Lionstar purred with amusement.

"I'm not going to punish you this time Goldenpaw," Lionstar meowed, becoming serious once more, "I don't want to delay your training. You did well today. Your hunting skills are excellent. You fought well too, although you have had no battle training."

"Thanks, Lionstar." Goldenpaw felt warmed by the praise.

"I do, however, want to tell you one thing. Redheart had some truth to his words. I will teach you the fighting moves, but there is no guarantee that you will be able to use them in a battle against another Clan." Lionstar warned. He must have noticed Goldenpaw's fur bristling, because he added quickly, "Think Goldenpaw. How did you know where Redheart was when you were fighting him, or what he was going to do next?"

Goldenpaw thought for a moment. Then she slowly mewed, "I could smell where he was, and I knew from the sound of his voice. I could hear his paw steps pounding on the ground, and his fur swishing as he moved."

Lionstar nodded. "In a huge battle with many cats, there will be many cat scents, all tangled up together. You won't be able to pinpoint one scent. Your enemy is most likely not going to be talking Their paw steps will be echoed all around you by other cats fighting. The yowls from others will drown out any sound of your enemy. You will have to rely on sight alone."

"But my sense of smell and hearing are even better than yours!" Goldenpaw protested.

"The next time there is a battle, I will let you join in, provided you have had enough training. The only way we will find out if your skills are good enough is if we put them to practice in a real battle." Lionstar meowed. Goldenpaw nodded. That sounded fair, at least.

"Now go see Windfur and get healed. You're still bleeding. Then get some rest. Tomorrow, we will do some battle training." Lionstar meowed. Goldenpaw dipped her head and padded to the medicine cat den. Redheart must have left; the only cat in here was Windfur. She looked up as Goldenpaw entered.

"Stay there." Windfur picked up some herbs off the flat rock in her den and began treating Goldenpaw's wounds. Goldenpaw flinched at the sting but nodded her thanks when the medicine cat had finished.  
>"That feels better." Goldenpaw sighed in relief. Windfur padded towards the exit of the den.<br>"I'm going to speak to Lionstar. You can run along to your den and get some rest." The medicine cat tossed the words over her shoulder, her pawsteps growing fainter. Goldenpaw followed her out of the den, before heading towards the apprentice's den instead. Suddenly she halted. _Windfur talking to Lionstar? It must be important. _Her ear twitched. _Is it about my fight with Redheart?_ Goldenpaw changed direction, crossing the clearing. She leaped onto ShortCliff and paused outside Lionstar's den. Her ears strained as she tried to catch what the two cats were saying.

"Oh yes, yes, they'll both be fine. But that's not what I came here to talk to you about." Windfur sounded irritated.

Lionstar's voice reached her as well. "Well, go on then, what's the problem?"

Windfur now sounded anxious. "I recieved a dream from StarClan. A prophecy. It's got to be important, or they wouldn't have repeated it-"

"Repeated?" Lionstar cut the medicine cat off. "You mean they spoke to you of this before!" A pause, in which Goldenpaw pictured Windfur nodding. "And how long ago might this have been?" Lionstar demanded.

"Um... about... seven to eight moons ago..." Windfur mewed hesitantly. In a rush she added, "But that was when we were having the border disputes with FallsClan and there were so many injured cats to look after and I meant to tell you but I forgot and-"

Lionstar once again cut off the rambling she-cat. "All right, I understand. Now, describe your dream." Goldenpaw pricked her ears forward even more to make sure she heard it all.

"It wasn't very clear," Windfur began. "I saw cats of all Clans fighting. I couldn't see where, but it was horrible. Blood and bodies everywhere." The medicine cat's voice trembled and she paused before continuing. "Then, I heard this voice. It said, '_A time of peril will descend upon the Clans like a dark storm. Every cat's life will hang in the balance. But do not be without hope, for the heart of a lion and the wisdom of a raven will be enough to rid the forest of these storm clouds and save the Clans.'_ "

"What?" Lionstar sounded puzzled. "What does it mean?"

"I don't know." Windfur replied. "I've thought and thought, but I don't know."

"And you haven't had any more dreams with a better explanation?"

"No, I haven't. All I know is something terrible is coming, and there's nothing we can do to stop it." Windfur's voice sounded fearful.

"You're right, Windfur." Lionstar sighed. "I just hope that this.. 'lion heart' and this... 'raven wisdom', whatever or whoever they are, will save us when the time comes."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Yeah, I'm no good at making prophecies either. I was gonna put the prophecy in the prologue but then realized I never made one! XD silly me... so I stuck it in there. Next chapter in at least the next week!


	7. First Gathering

**Author's Note:** Here is the next chapter as promised. Yikes, we're already on Chapter 6! I have only writted through Chapter 8 so far! Gotta get going on that... :)

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><p>Goldenpaw was eating beside Silverpaw, Meadowpaw, and Thornpaw. It had been a moon since they became apprentices. Tonight was the full moon, the night of the Gathering.<p>

"I wonder if we'll be chosen to go to the Gathering." Silverpaw mewed, echoing Goldenpaw's thoughts. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Whiteface leaped up onto the ledge where she organizes patrols. She let out a yowl and waited for the cats to join her. The apprentices got to their paws and padded over.

"Lionstar has just told me which cats are going to the Gathering. Tornclaw, Ravenwing, Redheart, Stormpelt, Darkstorm, Stonetail, Leafstorm, Sandfur, Patchclaw, Graypelt, Meadowpaw, Silverpaw, Goldenpaw, and Thornpaw. You are all going to the Gathering. The rest of you will guard the camp. We are leaving shortly." Whiteface leaped down.

"I can't believe it! We're going to the Gathering!" Meadowpaw mewed. Goldenpaw felt a thrill of anticipation. She leaped to her paws when Lionstar yowled for the Clan to follow him. Goldenpaw padded beside Silverpaw to BigRocks, barely able to keep herself from dashing ahead. Lionstar paused at the top of the hollow when they arrived. Goldenpaw sniffed the air. They were the last Clan to arrive. The scents of ValleyClan, NightClan, and FallsClan hung in the air. Then Lionstar plunged down into the hollow.

"Let's go meet the apprentices!" Silverpaw led Goldenpaw to a group of apprentices from other Clans.

"Hi." a tom mewed, "I'm Splashpaw, from FallsClan.

"I'm Streampaw, from FallsClan too." a she-cat meowed.

"Hi, I'm Silverpaw, from FireClan, and this is my sister, Goldenpaw." Silverpaw introduced them.

"Goldenpaw, why are your eyes so weird? What's wrong with them?" a new voice meowed.

"Honestly Pinepaw, are all NightClan cats so mean?" yet another voice mewed.

"Oh and I suppose ValleyClan are better then, Rabbitpaw?" Pinepaw retorted.

"I'm blind." Goldenpaw explained.

"Blind?" Streampaw gasped.

"What happened?" Pinepaw asked.

"A badger scratched my eyes." Goldenpaw explained. Suddenly there was a yowl from the Great Tree.

"That's our leader, Pebblestar!" Splashpaw gasped. "It's time for the Gathering!" The apprentices moved closer to the stump so they could hear the leaders' reports..

"This past moon, FallsClan has had no trouble. We have a new litter of kits, and we have made a new apprentice: Splashpaw." Pebblestar meowed from the Great Tree. The Clans yowled congratulations to Splashpaw. Pebblestar stepped back and Morningstar took his place.

"ValleyClan has made a new apprentice also: Rabbitpaw." Morningstar reported. Goldenpaw tensed; what would the Clans say about her naming? They knew she was blind. After the mews for Rabbitpaw died down, Morningstar continued.

"We found a fox living in our territory, but we chased it away. It went into NightClan territory." Morningstar dipped her head to Shadowstar and stepped back. Shadowstar took a pace forward.

"Thank you for that Morningstar. A fox is the last thing we want on our territory." Shadowstar growled irritably. "NightClan has made an apprentice as well: Pinepaw." Shadowstar paused to let the Clans congratulate him. "Our territory is supporting our prey needs well, for now." Shadowstar added, with a glance at Lionstar as he stepped back.

"Good, because that's all the territory you are getting, Shadowstar." Lionstar growled as he took his place at the front of the stump. Shadowstar glared back.

"FireClan has had good hunting. We have had more than _one_," Lionstar pointed out, "apprentice ceremony this past moon. We have four new apprentices: Meadowpaw, Thornpaw, and Silverpaw, - the Clans yowled in approval – and Goldenpaw. Goldenpaw raised her head proudly.

The congratulations broke off at Goldenpaw's name. Cats began muttering to each other.

"A blind apprentice, is that wise?" Morningstar cautioned.

"Surely she will never be a warrior." Pebblestar meowed. Goldenpaw tensed.

"Is FireClan that desperate that you will recruit a blind cat?" Shadowstar sneered.

"FireClan is not desperate!" Lionstar hissed.

"Why not get rid of her then? She's just a burden and a shame to your Clan." Shadowstar snarled back. "She will never be a warrior. She is probably a poor hunter and fighter anyway."

"We will not throw her out! FireClan isn't cruel." Lionstar growled. _Lionstar didn't say that I wasn't a burden. Does he think I'm a shame to the Clan too? _Goldenpaw thought.

"She's a pathetic excuse for a cat." Shadowstar retorted. The cats around Goldenpaw seemed to be meowing in agreement, cats from all the other Clans. The FireClan cats stayed silent.

"Run back to the nursery Goldenpaw. If you can find your way there, that is." Shadowstar jeered. Some of the NightClan warriors purred in amusement. Goldenpaw could feel it again, that anger building up inside of her. Her claws slid out. Letting out a screech, she leaped at Shadowstar. The NightClan leader was unprepared for her attack, and Goldenpaw caught him on the head. He staggered, and she clawed at his sides as he fell over. The leaders ordered her to stop, and the cats below yowled in protest, but Goldenpaw ignored them.

"I'll never be a warrior, will I?" Goldenpaw hissed loud enough for every cat to hear, but she was speaking to Shadowstar, who was pinned under her. She sunk her teeth into Shadowstar's neck. The NightClan leader fell off of the stump and to the cats below.

"He's dead!" a FallsClan warrior named Willowfur yowled.

"No, he's losing a life!" Rainclaw of ValleyClan meowed.

"Goldenpaw!" Lionstar's shocked meow sounded close by. Goldenpaw turned to face the leaders. Goldenpaw could feel Shadowstar's blood dripping from her jaws.

"You attacked a leader at a Gathering! You took one of his lives!" Lionstar sounded outraged.

"You broke the truce!" Cloudpelt, the ValleyClan medicine cat, yowled.

From among the cats, Shadowstar stirred. He sprang back onto the Great Tree, glaring at Goldenpaw, but he didn't attack.

"Goldenpaw, you are no longer a member of FireClan. If we see you on our territory, we will kill you." Lionstar snarled, his voice cold and full of anger. But there was also some other emotion that Goldenpaw couldn't identify.

"That goes for FallsClan too." Pebblestar hissed.

"And ValleyClan." Morningstar added.

"Don't even _think _about coming onto NightClan territory." Shadowstar snarled.

"Get out of our sight, Goldenpaw." Lionstar hissed. "You don't belong here." Goldenpaw lifted her head and stared out at the cats, even though she couldn't see them. Then she hissed at Lionstar.

"Fine, I'll go. But don't come begging to me when the Clan is in trouble, because I'm not going to come back." Then she leaped off of the stump. The cats parted to make a path for her. Goldenpaw stalked through the crowd, seemingly oblivious to the hisses and growls of some of the cats. Once away from BigRocks, she raced through FireClan territory, stopping only to kill a rabbit. She gulped it down and continued running until she reached the Thunderpath.

The scent of Twolegs was everywhere. Goldenpaw knew she had to cross the Thunderpath. A Twoleg monster whipped past, making Goldenpaw jump. Thankfully, the Thunderpath was quieter now that it was nighttime. Goldenpaw cautiously padded onto the Thunderpath. The stone felt cold and hard under her paws. Goldenpaw pricked her ears. It was silent. Goldenpaw dashed across anyway, just in case. She retreated several fox-lengths from the Thunderpath and sat down, taking deep breaths. She was out of FireClan territory now. Goldenpaw got to her paws and padded away from the Thunderpath, away from FireClan. There was no going back.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Goldenpaw seems to have a little bit of a temper, doesn't she? :) Next chapter... um... probably sometime in the next week?


	8. New Friend

**I know I promised this would be up within a week of the last one, but I warned ya, I'm lazy. :p So you're just gonna have to deal with it! :D**

**Thankies to TabbyCat47 for submitting little Fernpaw that's in this chapter! Read her story too peoples, its quite good. :)**

**Since I used Tabby's cat, I suppose it's only fair I should let you guys submit a cat or two if you wish... I could use warriors, apprentices, elders, and kits in FallsClan, ValleyClan, and NightClan. If you really want the cat to be in FireClan, they will have to be born as a kit (I do need kits that will be born later in the story) Most likely they will be small characters, depending if I really like the cat or not. **

**So, either send me a PM or tell me in a review the following:**

**Name: (if a kit or apprentice, tell me the warrior name too if you have one you'd prefer, otherwise I will make it.)**

**Gender: **

**Clan: **

**Looks: (no purple eyes or wings or shi- er, crap, like that.)**

**Personality: (that way I know how to portray them. Optional, but just know if you dont, I could make your cat a jerk if I want to ;D )**

**Family: (Optional, but for FireClan kits I will decide if you don't. Use my cats as parents please, in the allegiances I believe I say whose mate is whose. (Good suggestions are Redheart&Blackstripe, and Stonetail&Leafstorm ;) ) Don't use Ravenwing or Stormpelt as parents though, I don't want Goldenpaw to have any more siblings. And please try to have the kit's fur color be similar to one of the parents to keep it realistic.)**

**Ok, without further ado, enjoy!**

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><p>It was almost dusk the next day when Goldenpaw stopped walking. She hadn't slept yet, and she was hungry, not to mention thirsty. She sat down for a little bit to rest. Her recent journey replayed in her mind. Lionstar had been right; after crossing the Thunderpath, the land was pretty barren. Field after field stretched on. Some of the fields had been filled with animals called sheep; Goldenpaw could remember the elders telling her about their horrible smell. There had been a dog in one field, and it chased her for a long ways until a Twoleg took it away. <em>About the only use for Twolegs, I should think. <em>The fields then changed to Twoleg nests and Thunderpaths. It had been hard going through there, but Goldenpaw had gotten out of there as quickly as she could. Finally she had come upon a forest, where she decided to rest for the night.

_How far do I have to go?_ She wanted to abandon the Clans, leave them far behind, but yet something held her back. Already she missed her parents, her sister, and the other apprentices. Goldenpaw thought of Thornpaw and Silverpaw in particular. They were good friends, and Goldenpaw was sure they would miss her, just as she missed them. _I can't go back there though_, she told herself firmly.

Goldenpaw stood up and shook the thoughts away. Her forepaw splashed into a puddle, and she crouched down to lap at it, feeling new energy run through her. She sniffed the air and smelled plenty of prey. But there was cat. Rogue, by the smell of it. _Unless it's a Clan I don't know about._ But she was too tired to investigate. Goldenpaw tracked down a mouse, and pounced on it with a sharp bite. As she gulped down her meal, she thought of where she would settle. _It would be nice to live here,_ she thought. _No dangers, plenty of prey, and it's sort of like FireClan territory. _

She padded through the forest until she came to a clearing filled with a large rock pile. Goldenpaw padded up to them, but stopped when her paws touched water. There was a large puddle near the rocks, almost like a small pond. The rocks were leaning in such a way that there was a hollow space in the middle. Goldenpaw padded up and sniffed in the opening. She smelled nothing, so she padded inside. The hole opened up into a larger cave. This would be a good den, she thought. She walked back out and climbed up on the rocks, and she found out that a ledge jutted out away from the rest of the rock. Goldenpaw climbed up to the top and stood there, letting the wind ruffle her fur. Then she leaped down, landing on the ground clumsily several tail-lengths below her. _Yes, this will be my den, and the forest will be my territory. _Goldenpaw went back inside the cave and curled up on the ground. She could fetch moss tomorrow. Sleep crashed over her. Tomorrow she would begin her new life as a loner.

Goldenpaw got to her paws and stretched, loosening up her stiff muscles. _I really need to gather moss to make a nest. _Her muscles ached at the thought of having to spend another night on the cold, hard earth. Padding out of her den, she felt a wave of heat cover her pelt. _It must be near sunhigh,_ she thought. She lapped up a few drops of water, then marked the den as her own. _It smells like FireClan._ Goldenpaw growled at the thought. She began padding through the forest, eager to explore her new "territory". It wasn't very big, but it was big enough territory for one cat. Goldenpaw set her markers at the edges of the trees.

She gathered enough moss in the woods to make a large nest for her. _At least any moss I have to gather will be for myself. _She smiled. _No more worrying over the elders. _She brought the moss back and made a comfy nest inside her den_. All I need now is a fresh-kill pile, _Goldenpaw thought. _I'll be the only one eating it, but it might be useful to have extra in case I get injured or can't find prey. _

Goldenpaw padded through the forest, ears pricked, and alert for sound of prey. It didn't take long; the woods seemed to be crawling with the tiny creatures. She soon brought down a rabbit, and killed a vole with a well aimed pounce. Adding a squirrel and a couple of mice, Goldenpaw carried her load and dropped it outside her den underneath the ledge. She took a bite out of the squirrel and ate it slowly, taking as much time as she wanted. When she had finished she gave herself a thorough wash. _This is the life, _Goldenpaw thought. _No patrols, no cat telling me what to do, just who I am and who I want to be. _

Lying on the ledge above her den, Goldenpaw shifted restlessly, even with the sunhigh light warming her pelt. Many days had passed since she had been exiled.

"It does get a little boring with no cat to talk to." She rolled onto her belly. _Great, now I'm talking to myself. _

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" she complained out loud. Again, the voice inside her head answered. _Go hunting. Add to the fresh-kill pile._

"It's well stocked already." she snapped. "I'm the only one eating it."_ Isn't that what you wanted? _The voice whispered. _I thought you enjoyed life as a loner. Anyway, I'm just trying to help, mouse-brain._

Goldenpaw hissed angrily. "Who are you calling a mouse-brain, you-" She sat up suddenly. _Wait, am I actually arguing with myself? _

"Great StarClan, I must be out of my mind." Goldenpaw shook her head as if she hoped that would help. She sighed and sat back down. _Maybe I should go talk to some of those rogues I keep smelling._ As much as she hated the idea, it had to be better than quarreling with her mind. But before she could go anywhere, the breeze carried to her a familiar yet unwelcome scent. It was the scent of a badger! Memories came rushing back to her. The huge badger standing over her and the other kits, the badger snarling as she bit down on its ear. She remembered the camp, how it had all looked before the badger scratched her eyes. She leapt up in her anger, ready to attack the same kind of creature that was responsible for her blindness. Goldenpaw heard a low growl, before a badger lumbered out of the bushes. It let out a snarl.

_At least it doesn't sound that big,_ Goldenpaw thought, hearing its clumsy steps_. Or maybe it just seems like that because _I'm _bigger. _Her moment of anger had passed, and now Goldenpaw stood on the ledge, uncertain. _What if it's just like last time? I have no medicine cat to heal me now. _The badger wasn't about to wait for her decision, however. It lumbered forward towards her with a deep roar. Since no better ideas came to mind, Goldenpaw leaped off of the ledge and towards the badger, slashing at its shoulders. She tried to dig her claws in, but the badger reared up onto its hind legs and threw her off. She skidded into the rocks of her den and lay there, stunned. The badger took advantage of this and bit down on her shoulder, shaking her fiercely. Goldenpaw yowled in pain. The badger tossed her across the clearing with seemingly no effort, as if flicking away a bothersome fly. Goldenpaw tumbled across the ground before finally coming to a stop. She got to her paws, now dizzy. _What am I supposed to do? _Goldenpaw thought._ Usually it takes many warriors to defeat one badger, but I'm by myself. Should I run? But where would I go?_

A searing pain in her side brought her out of her thoughts. The badger had clawed her side while she was busy fretting. Goldenpaw scrabbled away, panting. She leaped again, paws waving frantically as she tried to hit some part of the badger. Coarse fur caught in her claws and Goldenpaw hung on, trying to figure out what part of the badger she was hanging on to. _This is never going to work. I can't fight a badger without sight. _Goldenpaw dashed away from the badger, getting out of reach of the snapping teeth and blunt claws. She turned tail and fled. She dashed through the trees, unsure of where she was going. All she knew was that she had to escape the badger. Gradually, the snarling and rustling of the undergrowth faded. Goldenpaw slowed to a halt, panting. _I can't go back there either, not now that the foul creature knows where it is. _Letting out a sigh, she trudged onward. _I've got to find somewhere to stop for the night. _

Goldenpaw shivered. _It must be near dusk now. _The badger, though now far off, was still fresh in her mind. She sniffed the air warily, afraid that perhaps even her thoughts would summon it. Instead, cat scent wafted towards her. It wasn't quite like the rogue scent she had been frequently scenting. Shrugging, Goldenpaw followed it. _May as well. I've got nothing better to do. _It slowly grew stronger as she followed it, and before she knew it, Goldenpaw could hear rustles in the ferns ahead of her.

The cat must have heard her as well, because they called out sharply, "Who's there?" Pawsteps thumped towards Goldenpaw, though not nearly as loudly as Goldenpaw was expecting. _Whoever that is, they must be quite small. _

"Who are you?" The voice sounded just in front of Goldenpaw. A she-cat, from the sound of it. And young, too.

"Erm, hi, I'm Goldenpaw." She tried to sound friendly.

"Goldenpaw?" The she-cat repeated, her mew edged with interest. _Why should my name be so interesting? _

"I'm sorry if I'm intruding here, but a badger chased me out of my own territory." Goldenpaw apologized quickly.

"And you're hurt." The she-cat now sounded concerned. A tail tip brushed Goldenpaw's still-bleeding shoulder. "Come with me to my den, I can help you." Without waiting for an answer, the she-cat turned and began padding away.

"Er, OK." Goldenpaw followed the mysterious she-cat. Somehow, her scent was faintly familiar, but Goldenpaw couldn't place it.

The she-cat led Goldenpaw to a valley. The ground felt springy underneath Goldenpaw's pads as the grass gave way to moss. "Here we are," the she-cat mewed, "my den. Isn't it beautiful?"

Goldenpaw flicked her tail uncomfortably. "Um, I wouldn't know. I'm blind."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know!" The she-cat sounded horrified at her mistake. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you later," Goldenpaw answered. " First, can you show me where I could get a drink?"

"Sure, over here." The she-cat led Goldenpaw over to one side of the clearing. "There's a tiny waterfall here, and it falls into a pool," the she-cat explained. "Plenty of fish here as well," she added.

Goldenpaw lapped up some water and swiped her tongue around her jaws. "Thanks."

"And over here," the she-cat's pawsteps thudded away from Goldenpaw, "Is my den. It's an old fallen tree, but its hollow on the inside. It's quite comfy."

Goldenpaw sniffed the air warily once more, but there was no badger scent on the breeze. _It must be long gone by now._

"And on the other side of the tree," the she-cat went on enthusiastically, "are some basking rocks. Lay down, it's nice and warm!"

Goldenpaw did so, purring as the warmth of the rock soaked into her pelt.

"And there you have it, the grand tour." The she-cat sounded excited. _Perhaps she hasn't had visitors in a long time._

"It's nice," Goldenpaw replied, getting to her paws. Her injured shoulder seemed to protest, and Goldenpaw winced.

The she-cat must have noticed. "Wait right there," she mewed, before whisking away into the trees, the ferns rustling as she did so. A short while later the ferns rustled once more, indicating her return. Goldenpaw sniffed the air to see what the she-cat had brought with her. Marigold! Goldenpaw recognized the tangy scent. It was one of the herbs Windfur had used to treat her after she had been blinded.

"How did you know to use marigold?" Goldenpaw asked.

The she-cat didn't reply, but instead began chewing up some of the leaves. Spitting them onto Goldenpaw's shoulder, she sighed. "I suppose I'll have to tell you. My name is Fernpaw."

Goldenpaw sat up in surprise. "Fernpaw?" she repeated. _So that's why she found my name interesting._ "Why do you have a Clan name?"

"I was once a member of ValleyClan," Fernpaw mewed in between chewing up the marigold leaves. "You know them, right? And you're from FireClan." It was a statement, not a question. Goldenpaw glanced in Fernpaw's direction, confused. "Your scent, silly. You smell like FireClan." Fernpaw added.

_No wonder she smelled familiar, she still has a trace of ValleyClan scent on her!_ "I was from FireClan." Goldenpaw corrected. "I was exiled a half moon ago."

"Really? Why?"

"You first." Goldenpaw mewed. "When did you leave ValleyClan? They've never mentioned you."

"Morningstar must be trying to pretend I never existed," Fernpaw scowled. "It was... what, five moons ago? Six, maybe? I forget."_ I would've been a tiny kit then,_ Goldenpaw thought, realizing that Fernpaw was older than her.

"NightClan had attacked our camp," Fernpaw began. "I think he was trying to weaken us so NightClan could get more territory. Anyway, during the fighting, my sister was killed. Killed by Shadowstar." Fernpaw's mew hardened. "I couldn't help it. I had to get revenge. So I attacked Shadowstar. He was already wounded badly by other cats, and he probably would've lost a life anyway, but..." She trailed off and sighed before continuing. "Morningstar thought that I had gone a bit too far, and she kicked me out."

"I'm sorry." Goldenpaw mewed quietly. Fernpaw was silent, concentrating on placing cobwebs on Goldenpaw's wounds.

"So what about you?" Fernpaw asked casually, as if she had been talking about nothing more serious than the weather, "How come you're blind, and how did you end up here?"

Goldenpaw explained everything, the badger attack in FireClan's camp, the Gathering, and the badger at her old den. "At least you had a reason though, for attacking Shadowstar," Goldenpaw mewed, hoping that would cheer Fernpaw up. "Avenging your sister's death. Then there's me, who attacked a leader at a Gathering just because I got angry."

Fernpaw let out an amused purr. "Well yeah, that was really mouse-brained. But what's done is done." Getting a sudden idea, Fernpaw scrambled to her paws. "Hey, why don't you stay here? I mean, for good? You said the badger drove you out of your old den, right?"

Goldenpaw got to her paws as well, her tail flicking excitedly. "Yeah, I'd love to! I was going crazy at my old den. It was so boring, with no cat to talk to."

"Well, we'd better get some moss for your nest, then." Fernpaw padded over to the edge of the clearing and dug up some of the moss growing there. Goldenpaw helped, and with the two of them, a nest was made in no time.

"Good night," Fernpaw mumbled sleepily from her nest. The pair of apprentices were huddled together in the hollow log.

Goldenpaw purred back. "Good night." She settled more comfortably in the moss, content. _She doesn't even care that I'm blind. _

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><p><strong>Ok, I'm going to be camping in a few days and will be gone for about a week, so next update will be over a week. That way, I won't be breaking any promises :) <strong>

**~Autumn**


	9. Life as a Loner

**I apologize very very very much for how long it took to update. SORRY! Please accept these free pieces of blackberry pie as a symbol of my sorryness. (It's nice and fresh, and I picked the berries myself! ^.^) No seriously, I did. There's a blackberry pie in my fridge, honest. If any of you are stalkers you can check it out for yourself if you like. Enjoy! *puts out plates of blackberry pies* **

**Now, as you all know, school is starting. Very soon. That means that my updates will be very slow as a result of homework and whatnot. I'll aim for at least 1 chapter a month. Not much, I know, but it's something. **

**Thanks to the people that have given me cats to use. I will use them later, I promise! But they won't be mains... I have those already. But they will be included! Any other cats are welcome, but please, if you are taking the time to send me a cat, could you leave a review as well? Thanks!**

**Now then, could anyone that reads this story pretty please leave a review? I have hardly any for the chapters I have, and more reviews might motivate me to update faster! (hint hint...) **

**R&R! (pwease?) :)**

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><p>"Mouse dung!" Goldenpaw let out a hiss. The flutter of wings above her head indicated that the sparrow had reached safety.<p>

"Bad luck!" Fernpaw's voice called from somewhere on her right.

"It's not bad luck." Goldenpaw lashed her tail, stirring up the sticks and twigs that littered the forest floor. "If I didn't keep stepping on these things, I'd have had that sparrow in a few more pawsteps."

Fernpaw's tail landed lightly on her shoulder. "You're not the first cat to scare off prey by snapping a twig. Besides, it's just a sparrow."

"And the squirrel, and the mouse." Goldenpaw snapped. "If I had been able to see the sticks, I'd have had those too."

"Wishing you could see won't help you regain your sight." Fernpaw reminded her. "Besides, I've caught enough prey for the both of us."

Goldenpaw caught the scents of a rabbit and two mice lying nearby. "You're right. Let's go back before it gets too dark. Is it near sunset?"

"Almost. Here, you take the mice, and I'll take the rabbit." Fernpaw's mew was muffled, as if she already had the rabbit in her jaws.

Goldenpaw picked up the two mice, holding them carefully so they didn't bleed. "You lead," she grunted around the mice. With the prey in her jaws, it was difficult to scent anything else.

Fernpaw said nothing, but let her flank brush Goldenpaw's, leading her around the worst of the brambles and roots. Goldenpaw accepted the silent guidance, her mind drifting away. _If I was back in FireClan and had no prey to add to the fresh-kill pile, I would be going hungry tonight._

Goldenpaw bumped into Fernpaw, who apparently had stopped dead.

"What's going on?" Goldenpaw hissed, still holding the mice.

"There's someone at our den already." Fernpaw whispered back.

_What? _Goldenpaw dropped the mice at scented the air. Sure enough, there was cat scent coming from somewhere up ahead. "It smells familiar," Goldenpaw whispered.

"That's what I thought too. I think it must be a rogue from the group around here."

"There's a rogue group in the forest?" Goldenpaw mewed worriedly.

"Yeah," Fernpaw murmured, "but they're far off, and I've never gone to investigate."

Goldenpaw took another sniff to identify the stranger. "It's a tom," she whispered, "and I think he's on his own."

"Let's attack him, then." Fernpaw shifted beside her and Goldenpaw felt her muscles bunch. "Before he realizes we're here."

Before Goldenpaw had time to agree, Fernpaw's pelt vanished from her side, and Goldenpaw heard pawsteps rushing away from her. She sprang forward as a yowl sounded ahead. Unsheathing her claws, she leaped towards the sound of fur swishing ahead of her. With a wave of satisfaction she felt cat's fur beneath her claws and she grabbed on.

"Wrong cat!" Fernpaw's voice yowled from directly below her. "Let go, Goldenpaw!"

_Fernpaw! _Goldenpaw quickly sheathed her claws and jumped off. Stumbling to a halt as she landed, she turned her attention to the fight next to her.

"Get off me!" A strange voice grunted. _Fernpaw must have him pinned._ Goldenpaw sprang forward and helped Fernpaw hold the tom down, making sure she had the right cat this time.

"What are you doing here?" Goldenpaw hissed.

"This is _our_ den." Fernpaw added.

"Easy, easy!" The tom struggled beneath her claws. "I didn't know, alright? I'm just looking for a place to rest. If you let me up, I'll leave!"

"Don't you already have a place to stay?" Fernpaw asked. "With your rogue friends?"

"I wouldn't call them _friends." _The tom continued writhing in an attempt to free himself. "Besides, I'm on my own. For now, at least."

"Why?" Goldenpaw mewed. "Did you run away?"

"No. Chased off. When kits are seven moons old, the leader sends them off on their own. When they're twelve moons, they can come back. But not before then." The tom had stopped struggling now, lying limp underneath her paws. Goldenpaw relaxed and took her paws off the tom.

"What happens if the kit can't live on its own?" Fernpaw asked.

"They die." The tom didn't sound sympathetic. "The way our leader sees it, if the kit dies, it was weak. Only the strong have a place in her gang."

Goldenpaw gasped. "That's awful!"

"I know. Even when I am twelve moons, I don't know if I'll return. I don't like such a harsh lifestyle." There was a scrabbling of claws and fur; the rogue must have gotten to his paws. "Are you two rogues as well?"

Goldenpaw shrugged. "More or less. I'm Goldenpaw, by the way."

"And I'm Fernpaw." Fernpaw added. "And you are?"

"Name's Frost." The tom grunted. "But why do both your names end in 'paw?"

"We used to live in Clans," Goldenpaw explained. "I'm from FireClan and Fernpaw is from ValleyClan."

"All apprentices have a name ending in 'paw." Fernpaw mewed.

"Clans? Apprentices?" Frost sounded confused.

Goldenpaw settled herself comfortably on the ground as she and Fernpaw launched into an explanation of the Clans and their rankings. Frost seemed entirely fascinated by the idea.

"But, why did you two leave?" Frost asked.

Goldenpaw helped herself to one of the mice and let Fernpaw explain their pasts. The air had grown cooler while they had been talking. _It must be well past dusk by now. _

"It's interesting that cats can be exiled from the Clans as well." Frost meowed after Fernpaw had finished. "I knew there was something weird with your eyes," he added to Goldenpaw, "but I didn't want to say anything."

"They aren't _weird."_ Goldenpaw hissed, heaving herself to her paws. "I'm going to get some sleep."

"It is getting late," Fernpaw agreed. "Frost, why don't you stay here tonight? There could be foxes or badgers about."

"Sure." Frost's pawsteps followed the two she-cats into their den.

"Tonight" turned out to be more than Goldenpaw had expected. Frost had stayed with them for a couple of nights, and had joined them on their hunting expeditions and walks in the forest. _Why doesn't Fernpaw just ask Frost to stay for good and be done with it? _Goldenpaw thought.

"Goldenpaw!" Fernpaw called. Goldenpaw heard pawsteps thudding toward her.

"Yeah?" Goldenpaw mewed, sitting up.

"Do you want to go out into the forest with me and Frost?" Fernpaw asked, Frost's scent next to her. "We're going to practice climbing."

Goldenpaw nodded and got to her paws. "Sure."

Frost led the way out into the forest, Fernpaw just behind him. Goldenpaw followed, concentrating on the touches of Fernpaw's tail to guide her on the clearest path.

"Here we are." Frost meowed.

Goldenpaw scented the air. The tang of oak filled her nose.

"I'll go first." Frost bounded forward, his paws scrabbling on the earth. Goldenpaw waited, hearing occasional grunts and scratching.

"I've asked Frost to stay with us for good, Goldenpaw." Fernpaw's voice whispered in her ear.

"What did he say?"

"He was excited." Fernpaw purred. "I don't think he ever wants to return to that rogue gang."

"Come on, Fernpaw, Goldenpaw!" Frost's voice sounded from far above.

"Let's go!" Fernpaw purred. Her pawsteps thudded away, before they disappeared altogether. There was more scratching as Fernpaw fought to grip the bark. "Hurry up, Goldenpaw!"

"I can't!" Goldenpaw called up at them.

"What?" Fernpaw's surprised mew answered. "Aren't FireClan cats supposed to be good climbers?"

"Yeah, the ones that can see." Goldenpaw raised her head, hoping to scent the other two. "And I never learned before I became blind."

"Just try!" Frost called down.

Goldenpaw padded forward to the base of the tree and placed her paws on the trunk. The bark felt rough under her pads.

"Good. Now dig in your claws and climb up to the nearest branch." Frost instructed.

"I can't tell where the nearest branch is." Goldenpaw snapped. But she unsheathed her claws and hauled herself up a few tail-lengths. "Happy?"

"Not really." Frost's voice was closer; perhaps he was climbing down. "You've got to go higher."

Goldenpaw shook her head. "This is high enough for me, thanks." She began climbing down, but lost her grip and dropped to the ground, landing heavily. "Oof!"

"Graceful." Fernpaw purred from just above her. "Move so I can get down."

Goldenpaw shuffled sideways, and a weight thudded to the ground next to her.

"Frost, are you coming?" Fernpaw teased.

"If you get out of the way."

Frost landed next to them a heartbeat later. "Not bad. Have you-" He broke off, and Goldenpaw could hear him sniffing frantically.

"I smell cats," Frost growled. "but it's not a scent I recognize."

Goldenpaw parted her jaws and sniffed deeply. The scent of intruders filled her senses. "I do," she hissed.

"What?" Fernpaw asked. "Who- …oh." Fernpaw broke off awkwardly.

"Who is it? Frost sounded confused. "Is it someone you know?"

Goldenpaw nodded and let out a snarl. _How dare they come here! _Fernpaw rested her tail on Goldenpaw's shoulders, perhaps in an attempt to calm her.

"Well, who is it?" Frost repeated.

The fur on Goldenpaw's shoulders rose. "_FireClan."_

* * *

><p><strong>A cliffie! Well, sort of. So... what will happen? What do the FireClan cats want? What does this mean for Goldenpaw, Fernpaw and Frost? Tell me your guesses in a review, and if you're correct you'll get a yummy Scotcheroo! You know, those Rice Krispie bars with chocolate on the top? My mom's making some right now, so the'll be nice and fresh :)<strong>

**By the way, what do you think of Fernpaw and Frost? **

**R&R! **

**~Autumn**


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